Demountable display panel and easel combination



Sept 10, 1957 E. STEIN 2,805,504

DEMOUNTABLE DISPLAY PANEL AND EASEL COMBINATION Filed July 13, 1955 3Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Fame-z 4. firs/M ATTOE/VEY E. L. STEIN Sept 10,1957 DEMOUNTABLE DISPLAY PANEL AND EASEL COMBINATION Filed July 13, 19553 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Euwsze 1. 5T5! ,Wa di-M ATraEusa/f Sept 10,1957 STEIN 2,805,504

DEMOUNTABLE DISPLAY PANEL AND EASEL. COMBINATION Filed July 13, 1955 sSheets-Sheet s j INVENTOR. ELM-FE 4. 57-5,

United States Patent i DEMGUNTABLE DISPLAY PANEL AND EASEL COMBINATION17 Claims. (Cl. 40-125) This invention relates to a demountable displaypanel and easel combination.

Display panels, and especially those of large size, have heretofore beenmade almost exclusively of heavy board. This is not only expensive buthas inevitably resulted in Warpage, since heavy board is subject tobending in response to moisture which it picks up from the atmosphere.Moreover, such panels are relatively heavy and expensive to store and toship.

The present invention represents the culmination of a series ofexperiments seeking to provide a light and inexpensive display panelwhich can be rolled for compact storage and shipment and can be erectedor collapsed in a moments time, and which, in use, will provide aperfectly flat display surface.

These objectives are achieved through the use of ordinary papermarginally stiffened by folding back integral flanges and held in itserect display position by an easel connected to the top and bottom ofthe panel and in cluding a resiliently flexible member which must bebowed to engage its ends with the display panel, whereby the resilienceof such member maintains the panel under tension.

The connections between the bowed easel element and the top and bottomof the display panel are of various types, all of which are calculatedto facilitate easy erection and dismounting. The various'easelsdisclosed also include several specifically difierent constructions, allof which fold flat to provide a core upon which the paper sheetcomprising the display panel can readily be rolled when its reenforciugside flanges are folded back into the plane of the sheet.

Desirably, the ends of the bowed strut portion of the one or more easelsused to support a given panel are engaged either directly with the topand bottom flanges of the panel or with slotted tabs connected with suchflanges. In an organization of this type, the bow of the easel strutperforms a function in addition to the tensioning of the panel. Becauseit extends outwardly from its terminal points of panel connection, ittends to maintain in rearward projection the re-enforcing flanges at thetop and bottom of the panel which, if the strut were parallel to thepanel, would also be forced into parallelism and would lose theirre-enforcing value,

In an assembly of the type herein described, it. is important that thegrain of the panel stock be horizontal so that the tension of the easelstrut is exerted in a direction which is transverse respecting the grainof the paper. It is also important that the brace portion of the easelshall, if deflection is required, be provided with a' trans.- versescore line to release tension which might otherwise destroy theresilient pressure exerted by the strut portion of the easel to maintainthe panel taut.

' "In the drawings: p I Fig. 1 is a View in rear elevation of a displaypanel prepared for use in an organization embodying the invention.

Patented .Sept. 10, 1957 Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of one type of,easel which may be used with the display panel of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in three-quarter rear perspective showing the assembledeasel end panel.

Fig. 4 is a three-quarter front view of the assembled easel and panel.

Fig. 5 is a view taken in vertical section through the assembly of easeland panel.

Fig. 6-is a view taken in front section on the line '66 of Fig. 5. i

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the dismounted easel and panel inthe process of being rolled up 'for storage or transportation;

Fig. 8 is a three-quarter rear perspective view of a modifled easel andpanel structure embodying the (invention.

Fig. 9 is a view in longitudinal vertical section through the .device ofFig. 8. t

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 8 showing a further modifiedembodiment of the invention.

Fig. 11 is a detail view on an enlarged scale section on the line 1111of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a view in perspective showing a modified panel having areenforced upper and lower margin.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged view taken in section in the plane indicated at1313 in Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary detail view taken in section on the line 1414of Fig.'12.

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary detail view in .plan showing the panel with itsflange folded outwardly inpreparation for shipment.

Fig. 16' is a detail View in perspective .of the easel shown on anenlarged scale as it appears'when folded for shipment. V f

As already indicated, the panel 31 comprises a sheet of ordinary paperwith its grain running transversely as indicated by the arrows 32in Fig.1 and otherviews. The sheet of paper comprising panel 31 isYcut toprovide marginal flanges 33, 34, 3'5 and 36 along its top,side, andbottom edges It will be observed that the .ends of these flanges are notcut at right angles. In practice, they are bent in somewhat beyondpositions at'right :angles to the plane of the display panel 31, asclearly appears inFigs. 3 and 6.

Flanges 35 and 36 are provided withslits 38and 39 to receive the ends ofthe strut portion 40 of the easel shown in Fig. 2. The length ofthisstrut portion exceeds the overall height of panel .31 between theflanges '35 and 36. With the several flanges turned rearwardly andinwardly as shown in Fig. 3, the upper end of the strut is inserted intoslit 38 at the top side of panel 35 to engage in the bight or fold 41between flange 35 and the panel. The tongue 30 at-the lower end of thestrut portion 40 of the easel is similarly insertedinto the slit 39 toengage in the bight or told 42. Because of the relative dimensions ofthe parts, the cardboard'strip comprising strut 40 is bent into anarc'as shown in Figs. 3 and 5 in which its inherent resilience isexerted transversely of the grain of panel 31 to maintain the panelstretched taut in'a vertical direction. t

Because of the marginal flanges 33, 34,35, and 36, the side margins ofpanel 31 are stiffened and kept perfectly flat, notwithstanding that the.tension of the easel strut 40 is exerted only at the center of thepanel. V If the panel isfto be propped against some other support, .noeaselbracewill beIQquired, However, if the panel is to be maintainederect solely through means provided by the easel, the easel willdesirably have a unitary brace or leg 45 which lies flat against thestrut portion in the folded position of the easel shown in Fig. 2. Thebrace or leg 45 is integrally connected'with strut 40 by a linkingportion 46 from which tongue 30 is cut. ,The leg portions 26 and ZTateach side oftongue fliifhave taken in or score line at 24 enables thebrace 45 and linking portion 46 to be relatively hingedlymovable fromthe aligned position of Fig. 2 to the angular relationship as shown inFigs. 3 and 5. The free end of the brace 45 has a tongue at 23 which, inthe erected position of the easel, is received into an opening providedat 22 in strut portion 49. With the easel in use as shown in Fig. 3,the-brace or leg 45 projects at a tangent to the arc of the strut and isof such a length as to engage a shelf or table surface to hold the easelnearly erect as best indicated in Figsi4 and 5.

Regardless of any ordinary weather conditions, the organizationdescribed will maintain its stiffness and rigidity during use and 'itgives a better appearance to advertising matter on the face'of'the:easel 'than-.as if such matter were printed on the face of amountingboard such as has frequently been deemed necessary.

Yet it is but the work of a moment to flex the strut portion 40 of theeasel and withdraw its ends from the slits 38 and 39; to fold outwardlyiuto'the plane of the panel its several flanges 33, 34, 35 and 36 and towrap the panel sheet in a roll about the easel in the manner clearlyshown in Fig. 7. i V

For many purposes, and particularly where the display panel is to havelarge dimensions, the construction shown in Figs. 8 and 9 may bepreferred to that shown in Figs. 1 to 7. The display panel 31 remainssubstantially unchanged, being provided with the flanges 33, 34, 35 and36 as already described. However, instead of providing the easel strutslits directly in the flanges 35 and 36, the embodiment here underconsideration includes tabs 47, 48 projecting from the flanges andprovided with the strut-receiving slits at 380 ad 390. It isfound thatthe use of the tabs at 47 and 48 permits the flanges 35 and 36 to extendoutwardly at a greater angle to the plane of the panel 31 than is thecase when the strut 40 is engaged directly with the flanges in themanner shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 6. r V

The easel shown in Figs. 8 and 9 differs slightly from that shown inFigs. 2, 3 and 5, but the differences in the easel have nothing todo'with the tabs 47 and 48, since the easel shown in Figs. 2 and 3 couldalso be used with the panel organization of Figs. 8 and 9. In Figs. 8and 9, the strut 40 is unchanged' The brace 450 has its portion 49 whichis held by staples 50 to the strut portion 40 or" the easel. It hasanother portion 51 connected with portion 49 at a score line or the like52, the purpose of which 7 is to weaken the fiber of the brace 51sufliciently so that the brace will not exert on the strut 40 a tensioncounter to that relied upon to make the panel taut.

The brace 51 has a further transverse score line at 53 from which aportion'54 extends upwardly to connect the lower end of brace portion 51with an intermediate part of strut 40. The connection may be made byforming a tongue at 55 on the end of the linking portion 54 of the braceand engaging it in an aperture 56 in strut 40. The fold line 53 rests onthe table or shelf to support the organization in a'nearly erectposition. T 7

In the construction shown in Figs. and 11, the upper and lower endsofthe strut portion 401 of the easel are engaged with theupper and lowerflanges 35 and 36 of the panel by means of a clamping arrangement.Stapled to each end of the strut 401 is a ply 58 of cardboard or thelike which is free at its end so that the margin of the flange may beinserted as shown in Fig. 11;

. are both reenforced by strips of cardboard or the like 2,805,504. V, aH

flange to form tabs 92 which are foldable inwardly and slotted at 386and 396 to receive respectively the upper and lower ends of thestrutmember 496. The flanges are wide enough so that the slitting to formtabs 92 does not impair their panel-stiffening function.

The strut member is engaged in the slots to seat in the angle andto'hold the reenforcing cardboard strips 89 and 9t) and their associatedpanel flanges 35 and 36 at acute angles to provide pockets in which theends of the strut are closely confined as best shown in Fig. 13. In thisembodiment, the leg or brace member happens to comprise a separate stripof cardboard 456 scored transversely at 94 and having its upperendportion 95 fastened in any appropriate manner, as by staples 96 'toan inter mediate portion ofv the strut 406. Atthe lower end of the legor brace 456, the cardboard is transversely folded at 97 and the freeend portion provides the link 466,-the terminal tongue 556 of which isreceived into an'opening' 566 in the strut to complete the assembly.

In actual commercial practice, it has been demonstrated that the severalpanels herein disclosed are much less expensive to produce and ship andmuch more satisfactory in service than panels previously known. Whilethey are not equivalent in all respects, and some of them are greatly tobe preferred for certain uses, they all have the quality of beingtensioned across their grain by portions of the easel and beingprovidedwith marginal flanges with which easel portions cooperate to theend that the edges of the panel are stiffened and the panel as a wholeis maintained perfectly flat, regardlesso'f its size, a result a neverheretofore achieved with a paper'or paperboard product. Y

Iclaim:

1. The combination with a flexible panel having top and bottom flangesdisposed at acute angles thereto and also having side flanges projectingangularly from the plane of the panel, of an arcuately bowed resilientlyflexible strut having ends extending into the angles between the panelam! the said top and bottom flanges,

means terminally connecting the strut'with said top and bottom flangesand holding said topand bottom flanges at acute angles to the panel,saidstrut being biasedin a direction tending to be elongated whereby tostretch the panel between the flanges with which the strut is connected,said panel having a definite grain extending transversely of thedirection in which the strut extends between said means, whereby strutthrust is exerted on said panel across the grain thereof. I e

2. A display panel of light flexible sheet material havng angularlydisposed marginal reenforcing flanges. at its upper and lower marginsprovided'with slotted-portions at the rear of the panel, and anarcuately bowed resiliently flexible strut 'having sufficient strengthtoten comprising an apertured reenforcing strip extends along a flange,the aperture of the reenforcing stripv roviding the slot in whicha strutend'is engaged; a 4. The combination with a'flexible sheet having at itsopposite ends marginal reenforcing flanges,.ani arcuately bowedresiliently flexible cardboard strut, means connecting said strut atoneofitsends tonne end-of the sheet. at one of the flanges, the flangeat the other end of the sheet being provided with a slot into which theother end of the strut extends from the outside of the flange inwardlyinto the angle between the flange and the sheet, the strut being of suchlength as to be maintained arcuately bowed when its. end is engaged inthe slot and having suflicient resilience to maintain the sheet undertension, the said strut end engaged in the slot of the last mentionedreenforcing flange serving to hold said flange at an acute angle toreenforce the sheet and to pocket the said strut end.

5. The device of claim 4 in which the slotted reenforcing flangecomprises a reenforcing cardboard strip connected with said sheet andhaving at least a portion at said acute angle and provided with saidslot through which the last mentioned end of the strut extends.

6. A display panel comprising a thin flexible sheet having angularlyfolded marginal flanges provided with slots in combination with arelatively stiff and resiliently flexible strut having terminal meansengaged in respective slots from the outside of the flanges into theangle between the flanges and the panel and of such length as to beconfined between the respective panel flanges under compressive pressureand in an arcuately bowed form whereby the panel is tensioned and therespective flanges are held by the strut at a panel-reenforcing angle.

7. The device of claim 6 in further combination with brace meansconnected with the strut and constituting therewith a support for thepanel.

8. The device of claim 7 in which the brace and panel have a connectinglink holding the brace outwardly from the strut as a leg to constitutethe strut and brace and link as an easel.

9. The combination with a flexible panel having opposite marginalflanges disposed at acute angles thereto and also having flangesextending along its other margins and projecting at an angle to thepanel, of an arcuately bowed resiliently flexible strut having endsextending into the angles between the panel and the flanges at oppositemargins of the panel, means terminally connecting the strut with saidfirst mentioned flanges at opposite margins of the panel and holdingsaid flanges at acute angles to the panel, said strut being biased in adirection tending to be elongated whereby to stretch the panel betweenthe flanges with which the strut is connected.

10. The combination with a flexible panel having flanges disposed atacute angles to opposite margins and also having angularly disposedflanges along its other sides, of an arcuately bowed resilientlyflexible strut having ends extending into the angles between the paneland the flanges at opposite margins of the panel, means terminallyconnecting the strut with said flanges at opposite margins of the panel,and holding said flanges at acute angles to the panel, said strut beingbiased in a direction tending to be elongated whereby to stretch thepanel between the flanges with which the strut is connected, theconnection between the panel and strut comprising a flange clampingmeans at least at one end of the strut, the clamping means includingstrut portions on one side of the flange and a substantially parallelclamp member connected with the strut and disposed at the other side ofthe flange.

11. The combination with a flexible panel having opposite marginalflanges disposed at acute angles thereto and also having flangesextending along its other margins and projecting at an angle to thepanel, of an arcuately bowed resiliently flexible strut having endsextending into the angles between the panel and the first mentionedflanges at opposite margins of the panel, means terminally connectingthe strut with said flanges at opposite margins of the panel, andholding said flanges at acute angles to the panel, said strut beingbiased in a direction tending to be elongated whereby to stretch thepanel between the flanges with which the strut is connected, the meansterminally connecting the strut with one of the first mentioned panelflanges comprising a flange portion having a slot through which the endof the strut projects, the said strut end being confined between thepanel and the last mentioned flange.

12. The combination with aflexible panel having opposite marginalflanges disposed at acute angles thereto and having flanges along itsother sides at an angle to the panel, of an arcuately bowed resilientlyflexible strut having ends extending into the angles betweenthe paneland the flanges at opposite margins of the panel, means terminallyconnecting the strutwith said flanges at opposite margins of the panel,and holding said flanges 'at acute anglesto the panel, said strut beingbiased in a direction tending to be elongated whereby to stretch thepanel between the flanges with which the strut is connected, the saidmeans terminally connecting the strut with one of the panel flangescomprising a cardboard extension of said last mentioned flange.

13. In a display device, the combination with a flexible sheetcomprising a planiform panel portion having rearwardly bent angularlyrelated flanges extending along the stop, side and bottom margins ofsaid panel, of an arcuately bowed resiliently flexible cardboard struthaving its end-s engaged with opposite ends of said sheet at the flangesof said ends and intermediate the sides of the sheet, said strutexerting tension on said sheet between the flanges with which it isconnected, the side flanges of said sheet maintaining the panel portionof the sheet flat and unwrinkled notwithstanding the localized pressureexerted by the strut.

14. In a display device, the combination with a flexible sheetcomprising 'a planiform panel portion having rearwardly bent flangesextending along the top, side and bottom margins of said panel, of anarcuately bowed resiliently flexible cardboard strut having its endsengaged with opposite ends of said sheet at the flanges of said ends andintermediate the sides of the sheet, said strut exerting tension on saidsheet between the flanges with which it is engaged, the side flanges ofsaid sheet maintaining the panel portion of the sheet flat andunwrinkled notwith standing the localized pressure exerted by the strut,the flanges of the sheet at the ends engaged by the strut end havingslots through which the ends of the strut extend into the bight betweenthe respective flanges and the panel portion of the sheet, whereby tomaintain said last mentioned flanges folded inwardly and to maintain apocket in which the ends of the strut are anchored and from which theyare readily releasable upon the further flexing of the strut.

15. In a display device, the combination with a flexible sheet having aplaniform panel portion provided with reenforcing means extending alongtwo opposite margins and having side flanges extending along the othertwo margins and comprising integral portions of said sheet extendingrearwardly from said planiform panel at an angle thereto, of a flexiblestrut of greater length than the length of said panel portion betweenthe said reenforced' margins of said sheet, said strut being fastened tothe reenforced margins of the sheet intermediate the side. flangesthereof, whereby the strut exerts tension on the panel portion of thesheet between the reenforced margins With which it is connected, theside flanges maintaining the panel portion of the sheet flat andunwrinkled notwithstanding the localized pressure exerted by the strut.

16. In a display device, the combination with a flexible sheet having aplaniform panel portion provided with reenforcing means along twoopposed margins and with flanges along its intervening side marginswhich extend rearwardly at an angle to the panel portion, of meansexerting a tensioning bias upon thereenforced margins of said sheettending to stretch said panel portion, the said side marginal flangesextending in the general direc tion in which said bias is exerted-andmaintaining the panel portion of the sheet flat and unwrinklednotwithstanding the localized pressure exerted by the tensioning means.

17. The device of claim 15 in which the sheet has its grain extendingtransversely with respect to the strut, the flanges at the sides of thesheet extending in the general direction of the strut and being joinedto the pane] portion of the sheet upon fold lines which are transverse 5respecting the grain;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 101,485,846 Gritfin Mar. 4, 1924 Wertz Jan. 26, 1926 Marsh Oct. 19, 1926Dabrohua Jan. 22, 1929 t Petigor Dec. 3, 1929 Fletcher May 30, 1939Moore July 11, 194 47 Paige May 15, 1945 Goldman Oct. 21, 1952

